Dr Rebecca Pinkus
People_

Dr Rebecca Pinkus

Address
A18 - Brennan MacCallum Building
The University of Sydney
Websites
Dr Rebecca Pinkus

Dr Rebecca Pinkus is currently a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology. Prior to joining the University of Sydney, she was a Lecturer at Western Sydney University, a visiting postdoctoral fellow at UNSW, and a postdoctoral fellow at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She was awarded her PhD and Master of Arts from the University of Toronto, and her Bachelor of Science (Hons) from Western University (London, Ontario, Canada).

Dr Pinkus's research interests are in social cognition within close relationships. In particular, she is interested in how individuals balance concerns about the self with concerns about the relationship. She is also interested in how partners can help or hinder one another's health outcomes.

Current Teaching:

  • PSYC1001: Social Psychology stream
  • PSYC2012: Statistics & Research Methods for Psychology
  • PSYC2017: Social Influence Techniques
  • PSYC3017: The Self
  • PSYC4123: Close Relationships

Current Postgraduate Students:

Mitchell Cunningham: Disentangling the relations of drive for toned muscularity with eating, exercise and body image psychopathology in women (PhD; primary supervisor; University of Sydney)

Liam Dacosta: COVID-19 and its Impact on Intimate Relationships (PhD; associate supervisor; University of Sydney)

Sarah Walker: You, Me, and Us. An Examination of Self- and Informant-reported Extrinsic Emotion Regulation Processes in Romantic Couples (PhD; associate supervisor; University of Sydney)

Roberta Chen: The Utility of Indirect Contact and Mass Media in Reducing Racial Prejudice (PhD; associate supervisor; University of Sydney)

Hester Xiao: Interpersonal Emotion Regulation in Close Relationships (PhD; associate supervisor; University of Sydney)

Ellen Shi: How Conceptualisations of Racism Impact the Relationship between Intergroup Contact and Collective Action (PhD; associate supervisor; University of Sydney).

Postgraduate Student Completions:

Sarah Ratcliffe: Measuing Abortion Stigma in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand: The Development, Adaptation, and Validation of Multiple Individual-level Instruments (PhD; associate supervisor; Universit of Sydney)

Beatriz Lopez Portillo:Personality, Adult Attachment and Sexual Self-disclosure(PhD; associate supervisor; University of Sydney)

Rachel Maunder:Reducing Public Stigma and Self-stigma towards Different Mental Illnesses(PhD; associate supervisor; University of Sydney)

Nhung Nguyen:Perceptual Adaptation to Vietnamese-Accented English(PhD; associate supervisor; Western Sydney University)

Andrew Jerovich:Implicit Associations and the Other Race Effect(MRes; primary supervisor; Western Sydney Universty)

Ryan McMullan:The Embodiment of "Good" and "Bad" via Vertical Space: An Investigation of Conceptual Metaphor in Impression Formation(PhD; primary supervisor; Western Sydney University)

Jennifer Duggan:The Relationship between Celebrity Worship, Personality Traits, Well-being, Self-esteem, Attachment Style and Need to Belong(MCP; primary supervisor; Western Sydney University)

Daniela Ho Tan:The Role of Adult Attachment Styles and Coping Style during Interpersonal Conflict in Relationships(MCP; primary supervisor; Western Sydney University)

Australian Psychological Society's Psychology of Relationships Interest Group

International Association for Relationship Research

Society of Australasian Social Psychologists

Project titleResearch student
The Utility of Technology-Mediated Indirect Contact in Reducing Racial Prejudice towards the Chinese DiasporaRoberta CHEN
The impact of intergroup contact on taking action against racismEllen SHI

Publications

Book Chapters

  • Pinkus, R. (2020). Love and belongingness needs. In V. Zeigler-Hill, Shackelford, T. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, (pp. 2694-2697). Cham: Springer. [More Information]
  • Lockwood, P., Pinkus, R. (2014). Social comparisons within romantic relationships. In Zlatan Krizan, Frederick X. Gibbons (Eds.), Communal Functions of Social Comparison, (pp. 120-142). New York: Cambridge University Press. [More Information]
  • Murray, S., Pinkus, R. (2012). Motivating commitment: The power of a smart relationship unconscious. In edited by Lorne Campbell .. [et al.]. (Eds.), The science of the couple, (pp. 141-168). New York: Psychology Press.

Journals

  • Double, K., Pinkus, R., Gross, J., MacCann, C. (2024). Emotion Regulation Efficacy Beliefs: The Outsized Impact of Base Rates. Emotion, 24(1), 234-240. [More Information]
  • Double, K., MacCann, C., Kunst, H., Pinkus, R. (2024). Regulating others' emotions: An exploratory study of everyday extrinsic emotion regulation in university students. Personality and Individual Differences, 226, 112687. [More Information]
  • Reily, N., Pinkus, R., Vartanian, L., Faasse, K. (2023). Compensatory eating after exercise in everyday life: Insights from daily diary studies. PloS One, 18(3 March). [More Information]

Conferences

  • Kunst, H., Nguyen, H., Johnson, A., Pinkus, R., MacCann, C. (2020). Regulating Other's Emotions in Daily Life. Society for Ambulatory Assessment Conference 2020, Melbourne, Australia: Society for Ambulatory Assessment.
  • Nguyen, N., Shaw, J., Tyler, M., Pinkus, R., Best, C. (2015). Affective attitudes towards Asians influence perception of Asian-accented vowels. 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS2015), Glasgow, UK: University of Glasgow.

2024

  • Double, K., Pinkus, R., Gross, J., MacCann, C. (2024). Emotion Regulation Efficacy Beliefs: The Outsized Impact of Base Rates. Emotion, 24(1), 234-240. [More Information]
  • Double, K., MacCann, C., Kunst, H., Pinkus, R. (2024). Regulating others' emotions: An exploratory study of everyday extrinsic emotion regulation in university students. Personality and Individual Differences, 226, 112687. [More Information]

2023

  • Reily, N., Pinkus, R., Vartanian, L., Faasse, K. (2023). Compensatory eating after exercise in everyday life: Insights from daily diary studies. PloS One, 18(3 March). [More Information]
  • Walker, S., Pinkus, R., Olderbak, S., MacCann, C. (2023). People with higher relationship satisfaction use more humor, valuing, and receptive listening to regulate their partners’ emotions. Current Psychology. [More Information]
  • Talbot, D., Mahlberg, J., Cunningham, M., Pinkus, R., Szabo, M. (2023). The Somatomorphic Matrix-Female: More evidence for the validity of bidimensional figural rating scales for women. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(2), 477-496. [More Information]

2022

  • Double, K., Pinkus, R., MacCann, C. (2022). Emotionally Intelligent People Show More Flexible Regulation of Emotions in Daily Life. Emotion, 22(2), 397-402. [More Information]
  • Cunningham, M., Pinkus, R., Lavender, J., Rodgers, R., Mitchison, D., Trompeter, N., Ganson, K., Nagata, J., Szabo, M., Murray, S., et al (2022). The ‘not-so-healthy’ appearance pursuit? Disentangling unique associations of female drive for toned muscularity with disordered eating and compulsive exercise. Body Image, 42, 276-286. [More Information]

2021

  • Dacosta, L., Pinkus, R., Morandini, J., Dar-Nimrod, I. (2021). Condom use during COVID-19: Findings from an Australian sample of heterosexual young adults. Sexologies, 30(1), e43-e48. [More Information]
  • Cunningham, M., Rodgers, R., Pinkus, R., Nagata, J., Trompeter, N., Mitchison, D., Murray, S., Szabo, M., Lavender, J. (2021). Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Muscularity-Oriented Eating Test in university women in Australia. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(11), 1956-1966. [More Information]
  • Fardouly, J., Pinkus, R., Vartanian, L. (2021). Targets of comparison and body image in women's everyday lives: The role of perceived attainability. Body Image, 38, 219-229. [More Information]

2020

  • Pinkus, R. (2020). Love and belongingness needs. In V. Zeigler-Hill, Shackelford, T. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, (pp. 2694-2697). Cham: Springer. [More Information]
  • Kunst, H., Nguyen, H., Johnson, A., Pinkus, R., MacCann, C. (2020). Regulating Other's Emotions in Daily Life. Society for Ambulatory Assessment Conference 2020, Melbourne, Australia: Society for Ambulatory Assessment.

2019

  • Hingorani, S., Pinkus, R. (2019). The Ex-Factor: Attachment Anxiety and Social Comparisons Across Romantic Relationships. Journal of Relationships Research, 10, 1-11. [More Information]

2018

  • Morandini, J., Pinkus, R., Dar-Nimrod, I. (2018). Does partner gender influence relationship quality among non-monosexual women? Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 33(1-2), 146-165. [More Information]
  • Vartanian, L., Pinkus, R., Smyth, J. (2018). Experiences of Weight Stigma in Everyday Life: Implications for Health Motivation. Stigma and Health, 3(2), 85-92. [More Information]
  • Hayward, L., Vartanian, L., Pinkus, R. (2018). Weight Stigma Predicts Poorer Psychological Well-Being Through Internalized Weight Bias and Maladaptive Coping Responses. Obesity, 26(4), 755-761. [More Information]

2017

  • Hayward, L., Vartanian, L., Pinkus, R. (2017). Coping with weight stigma: development and validation of a Brief Coping Responses Inventory. Obesity Science & Practice, 3(4), 373-383. [More Information]
  • Fardouly, J., Pinkus, R., Vartanian, L. (2017). The impact of appearance comparisons made through social media, traditional media, and in person in women's everyday lives. Body Image, 20, 31-39. [More Information]

2016

  • Thai, S., Lockwood, P., Pinkus, R., Chen, S. (2016). Being better than you is better for us: Attachment avoidance and social comparisons within romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 33(4), 493-514. [More Information]

2015

  • Nguyen, N., Shaw, J., Tyler, M., Pinkus, R., Best, C. (2015). Affective attitudes towards Asians influence perception of Asian-accented vowels. 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS2015), Glasgow, UK: University of Glasgow.

2014

  • Lockwood, P., Pinkus, R. (2014). Social comparisons within romantic relationships. In Zlatan Krizan, Frederick X. Gibbons (Eds.), Communal Functions of Social Comparison, (pp. 120-142). New York: Cambridge University Press. [More Information]
  • Vartanian, L., Pinkus, R., Smyth, J. (2014). The phenomenology of weight stigma in everyday life. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 3(3), 196-202. [More Information]

2013

  • Murray, S., Holmes, J., Derrick, J., Harris, B., Griffin, D., Pinkus, R. (2013). Cautious to a fault: Self-protection and the trajectory of marital satisfaction. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(3), 522-533. [More Information]

2012

  • Murray, S., Pinkus, R. (2012). Motivating commitment: The power of a smart relationship unconscious. In edited by Lorne Campbell .. [et al.]. (Eds.), The science of the couple, (pp. 141-168). New York: Psychology Press.
  • Pinkus, R., Lockwood, P., Marshall, T., Yoon, H. (2012). Responses to comparisons in romantic relationships: empathy, shared fate, and contrast. Personal Relationships, 19(1), 182-201. [More Information]

2011

  • Park, L., Young, A., Troisi, J., Pinkus, R. (2011). Effects of Everyday Romantic Goal Pursuit on Women's attitudes Toward Math and Science. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(9), 1259-1273. [More Information]
  • Murray, S., Pinkus, R., Holmes, J., Harris, B., Gomillion, S., Aloni, M., Derrick, J., Leder, S. (2011). Signaling when (and When Not) to be cautious and self-protective: Impulsive and reflective trust in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(3), 485-502. [More Information]
  • Gere, J., Schimmack, U., Pinkus, R., Lockwood, P. (2011). The effects of romantic partners' goal congruence on affective well-being. Journal of Research in Personality, 45(6), 549-559. [More Information]

2010

  • Murray, S., Holmes, J., Pinkus, R. (2010). A smart unconscious? Procedural origins of automatic partner attitudes in marriage. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(4), 650-656. [More Information]

2009

  • Murray, S., Leder, S., MacGregor, J., Holmes, J., Pinkus, R., Harris, B. (2009). Becoming irreplaceable: How comparisons to the partner's alternatives differentially affect low and high self-esteem people. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45(6), 1180-1191. [More Information]
  • Murray, S., Holmes, J., Aloni, M., Pinkus, R., Derrick, J., Leder, S. (2009). Commitment-insurance: Compensating for the autonomy costs of interdependence in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97(2), 256-278. [More Information]
  • Park, L., Pinkus, R. (2009). Interpersonal effects of appearance-based rejection sensitivity. Journal of Research in Personality, 43(4), 602-612. [More Information]

2008

  • Pinkus, R., Lockwood, P., Schimmack, U., Fournier, M. (2008). For better and for worse: Everyday social comparisons between romantic partners. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(5), 1180-1201. [More Information]

2007

  • Lockwood, P., Pinkus, R. (2007). The impact of social comparisons on motivation. In J. Shah & W. Gardner (Eds.), Handbook of motivation science, (pp. 251-264). New York: The Guildford Press.

2003

  • MacDougall-Shackleton, S., Sherry, D., Clark, A., Pinkus, R., Hernandez, A. (2003). Photoperiodic regulation of food storing and hippocampus volume in black-capped chickadees, Poecile atricapillus. Animal Behaviour, 65, 805-812. [More Information]

Selected Grants

2024

  • Abortion stigma in Australia: Building the evidence-base to create change, Pinkus R, Dhillon H, Ratcliffe S, School of Psychology/Core Funding Grant

2021

  • When, why, and how well do we regulate other peoples emotions, MacCann C, Pinkus R, Nguyen H, Johnson A, Niven K, Gross J, Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Projects (DP)

In the media

https://theconversation.com/social-media-shots-affect-body-image-because-we-only-show-our-best-side-69783

http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/11/06/comparing-yourself-with-your-partner-can-actually-enhance-your-r/?utm_hp_ref=au-

https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-romance-can-we-predict-a-breakup-26041